A Favor Returned
by MidgardianMaiden
Summary: Ferris tries to return a favor and hopes that Jeanie doesn't get the short end again. Takes place right after the movie. Rated T for language.


**AN: I always felt bad for Jeanie, so here is another moment of sibling love with her and Ferris. To those reading **_**Pressure on the Skin**_**, updates will be coming in a few weeks, I'm in the middle of a show, so that takes priority right now. But the fic will be updated twice every month, it's a better schedule for me and more realistic deadline. I don't own Ferris Beuller. Moving on!**

Ferris's mother returned shortly with the promised soup. Feigning fatigue, he made a great show of effort to sit up so she could rest the tray in his lap. Chicken noddle and a perfectly toasted grilled cheese cut in half. She really was into this nurturing crap, wasn't she?

As she felt his forehead and slippery palms, he was astounded at how readily she believed that he was sick, despite being in perfect health all but eight days in a single semester. Any other mother would have called him on his bullshit, but then, not all parents were nearly as gullible as his. It almost made him feel bad at how easily they bought it, but not bad enough.

"Do you think I could go to school tomorrow?" he asked, feigning eagerness.

"I don't know." She frowned, brow crinkled in concern. "We'll have to wait and see what your temperature is in the morning. Really, Ferris, I think we may need to take you to the doctor's."

Shit.

"Oh, no. I'm fine, I'm sure it's just a bug going around school."

Ferris's mother looked somewhat relieved but he wasn't sure if he had pacified her paranoia enough.

The sound of light footsteps directed his attention to the hallway, spotting Jeanie as she tried to slip into her bedroom undetected. This was probably the only thing today that Ferris's mom didn't fail to notice.

"Wait a second, young lady, I'm not through talking to you." She warned the teenage girl, walking out into the hall.

Needless to say, he was beyond shocked and grateful for her help with Rooney downstairs. He couldn't believe she'd lie for him like that, especially considering she was ready to bust his balls just that morning. But no, she lied effortlessly, almost as well as him and he was able to get upstairs with their parents none the wiser.

Jeanie turned to face their mother but without her usual annoyed sigh or haughty expression, she looked almost serene. Giddy, he'd daresay.

"What's going on?" Ferris asked meekly, disguising his interest.

"Your sister decided to skip class and come home, only to play a prank on the police by making a call about an intruder in the house." Their mother explained in exasperation, looking to him for some kind of agreement to justify her frustration.

Ferris just raised an eyebrow. She bought that bullshit? Even for her, that was remarkable. There was so much wrong with that statement, like if she was going to skip school, why would she risk getting caught by making a phony call? Jeanie was not that stupid, nor that starved for attention.

He quickly deduced what had probably happened and that the 'intruder' must have been Rooney, considering he had just seen the man lingering outside his home and had clearly been waiting for him. And also by the fact that, when he walked bas Jeanie when walking through the back door, he recognized a man's wallet in her hand, which could only be the principal's, which meant that he had somehow gotten into the house. The last thought made him exceedingly uncomfortable and for a moment he did feel genuinely ill.

No, Jeanie came home for whatever reason, probably to catch Ferris playing hooky, just as Rooney was doing. She saw him, freaked out, and called the police. Honestly, given Rooney's nearly disturbing fixation with him, he would have done the same thing.

During his realizations, their mom began to hand out the punishment.

"…and you can forget going on any dates."

That was particularly weak and completely pointless. A girl who was such a tight ass isn't exactly going to have many gentlemen callers come knocking.

Ferris actually did feel bad that their parents treated Jeanie with such disregard and brush off anything she said, even though she was such a shrew. He wondered though if his parents realized it was because they treated her with disbelief while he could tell them Christmas came in July and they'd cut down a tree to put in the living room.

"Mom…"

The older woman was instantly by his side, soothing his brow.

"Yes, sweetie?"

"I remember now…I thought it had been just a dream…I couldn't tell." He moaned quietly, adding some delirium to the act.

"What, honey?"

"I heard a crash from downstairs and Jeanie yelling. She came running in saying that a man had broken in and was going to call the police, so I had to stay quiet until she or the police came." He murmured with enough enunciation to be understood while still lolling his head about the pillow.

His mom look surprised and he knew he had her, so he continued.

"I was so scared, and I didn't make a single sound or moved at all. But Jeanie never came back. I was so afraid for her."

After a moment of careful consideration, Ferris's mother expression was fixed in surprised disbelief, as was Jeanie's. It was best for their mom to believe he was pathetically helpless, for Jeanie's sake.

"Oh my poor baby, I'm so sorry." She leaned down to hug him and when she pulled away she looked up to Jeanie. "Why didn't you tell me what had happened?"

Catching on quick, Jeanie replied with a shrug of her shoulders.

"You wouldn't believe me. I mean, the police didn't."

"I'm not as mistrustful as you think, try me sometime and you'll see that I trust my children more than most parents."

Both siblings raised their eyebrows simultaneously.

"You still skipped school, even if you did catch an intruder, you never would have if you were in school, where you were supposed to be. So that's still a week of grounding, no TV, no going out." She said sternly before walking away but not before tucking Ferris in once more.

With their mother's back retreating down the stairs, he winked at his sister, just as he had done that morning and then raised his arms as if to say 'Hey, I tried' with a shrug.

For the first time in he didn't know how long, she really smiled. Twice in one day, wow. No sarcasm. No smugness. She silently mouthed 'Thank you' before heading to her door with a definite spring in her step.

He wasn't sure what pulled stick out of her ass, but whatever it was, he decided that he liked it.


End file.
